School System Annual Report Forum Held

Local leaders hear the annual report from the Stephens County School System.

Tuesday, Stephens County School Superintendent Sherrie Whiten presented the School System’s annual report at the Gate Cottage on the Campus of Toccoa Falls College.

The event is sponsored by the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce’s Education Committee and took place in conjunction with a regular meeting of the Toccoa Rotary Club.

The annual report includes a recap of information such as test scores and demographics, as well as information on school nutrition, facilities, finances, transportation, and human resources.

Whiten said the report provides an opportunity to talk about the things happening in the school system.

“If we do not tell our own story, somebody is going to tell it for us,” said Whiten. “We hear so many things that are not going well with public education, but here in Stephens County, we all work together so well and things are going great. Our kids are improving each year academically and we want to continue that.”

She went on to say this report is an important tool for communicating with the community and local leaders about the school system.

“We are accountable to this community, so the more we can get our message out about how our kids are doing, even the things we need to work on, the better off we are going to be,” said Whiten.

“It is encouraging to me and I appreciate her support,” said Herron. “I think it is good for the community to be informed about what is going on in our schools and maybe take a look at how we compare to surrounding areas, the state, and the nation as well, so that we can adjust and make changes. I think we have that leadership now that we are looking at those things, making those changes, and moving forward.”

Meanwhile, Caudell said it is important to have an event like this each year to receive the report.

“We have leaders in the community, Partners in Education, several of our club members and it is important to bring them together and pay tribute to them and thank them for what they have done to make this successful,” said Caudell.